TOPIC: The Third Hand - Modeling clay

Greetings in Gadgetman Land

I was getting ready to re-groove a TB for the 2007 Chevy Avalanche and being it's fly by wire I had thoughts about how I was going to maintain the plate position.

Something I have used before as a third hand tool and figured out very quickly that it would work here as well.

Once you have determined the angle that you need for your Throttle plate you can take
a half a stick size (of butter) and mold it to the backside of the throttle plate to hold it in place while you apply the groove.




You can actually press this into place and by applying opposing pressure you can adjust the plate to the desired position and by applying a small amount of pressure
on the other side it will stay in place while you cut the groove.





Worked pretty well, you can purchase it at any craft store.

Karl Fortner
Tacoma, Washington

Thanks again, Karl, another excellent post! I gotta meet you someday, I'm sure I could learn a LOT from ya...! So I'm trying to visualize, that clay went next to the plate directly behind the Groove? Once in place did you need any pressure to the plate to keep steady or does the clay do the whole holding job?
On the 06 Avalanche I did I folded a business card in half under the plate opposite side of bore from Groove. I was fiddiling around w/ cards trying to secure plate angle while TB was plugged in and reading Scanner under hood all at once. I like your Clay Concept, will remember next time I do a drive by wire, Thanks again, Karl!! TracyG Gadgetman Reno

Hi Tracy,

Just enough pressure top side to keep the plate against the clay.

The "neutral" position of the plate is out a bit farther so it naturally wants to go there, a little pressure to the back side keeps it in place.

Of course another bit of clay on the top side would take care of that as well.

Karl Fortner
Tacoma, Washington

OK, Karl! let's see.."with a bit o' Clay the Groove gets done today..." sorry I could not resist, TracyG